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EA Access May Be Netflix For Gaming On Xbox One

While it might be obvious that Netflix is changing the world of video delivery, it seems its model may start to make its way more prominently into video games as well. EA has just debuted a rather interesting new program in the form of EA Access, which is coming exclusively to Microsoft’s Xbox One.

It’s a $5 monthly (or $30 yearly) subscription package that gives you the ability to download select EA games for that flat fee, and also receive early trial access to new titles up to five days before their launch, where your game data will carry over to the final release if you decide to purchase. On top of that, there’s a blanket 10% discount on all digital games and microtransactions when you’re signed up through Access.

The beta of the service will include access to FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Peggle 2 and Battlefield 4 for $5, and NHL 15, FIFA 15, NBA LIVE 15, and Dragon Age: Inquisition should be getting First Play access. It’s similar to EA’s Sports Ticket, which offered games for a bulk rate a few years past, but Access is clearly now expanding beyond sports.

This is potentially big for a few reasons.

It’s a huge incentive to play EA games period, either ones you wanted in the first place, or ones you might have avoided if you didn’t have the access for free. But it’s also pretty enormous for Microsoft and Xbox One. We’ve talked about the new “console-exclusive content” wars as of late, where Microsoft or SonySony buy the favor of publishers to allow early beta access or more levels and content for their console’s version of the game.

This is that idea taken to the far edge. A deal like this is not just a few extra days of a beta or some bonus weapons, it’s a huge collection of very cheap games that Sony has no way to match without striking a similar deal themselves. This just may be a big enough reason to pick up an Xbox One for some. It’s certainly a better reason than anything Microsoft themselves has put forward at this point.

Naturally, there’s a catch in all this which Polygon touched on in their “death of ownership” opinion piece. These games are not yours. This is essentially a rental service from EA directly. Stop paying your monthly dues, and these games will evaporate from your system.

We all know that a large portion of console gamers lament that the industry is moving this direction. Fans may have won their appeal and forced Microsoft and Sony to keep the box copy/used game ecosystem alive, but gamers have to realize they’re pretty alone in wanting to stay away from digital in the wider media market. At this point, only die-hard DVD collectors are lamenting the fact that Netflix is making their old lifestyle obsolete.

You can extrapolate this idea outward, and some may complain that they may someday end up paying for an Activision subscription service, or an Ubisoft one too. But is that really so bad? Even with a dozen other $5 a month plans, if you’re telling me I could get access to a huge chunk of games from twelve top publishers for the price of a single game a month? Bring it on. Keep your boxes and discs.

Right now this is just EA, however, and it’s hard to imagine someone like Activision trying this out given that they know they will automatically sell $500M worth of COD: Advanced Warfare copies on day one alone at full $60 retail. But EA doesn’t really have any golden geese like that, so I understand why they’re wanting to give this a shot.

I can’t quite understand the economics of it, as it seems like a lot is potentially being given away for the cost. But I’m guessing this way, EA cuts out the middleman (though ironically GameStop is selling Access subscriptions in-store) and then they’ll hope to make money on discounted in-game microtransactions. So naturally, expect more microtransactions in future games. If taken too far, that could put a damper on the whole thing.

But for as much as I’m constantly on EA’s case, I have to admit this is exciting for both them and Microsoft to be able to land this exclusively. Perhaps there are more catches lurking under the surface, but for now, it seems rather incredible.

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